Last weekend, some of the top riders and legends from Downhill Racing, Cross-Country and and Four-Cross converged at Punta Ala, Italy for the first ever Enduro World Series race. They were rewarded with a racing experience that is not only sweeping the US but the world.

Enduro racing is akin to the type of riding that mountain bikers want to do anyway in their spare time. Like enthusiasts and weekend warriors, they had to hone in and select their equipment to make it up the big mountains and ride down as fast as possible.

Here is a great race report from the folks at DirtTV

The Parkin Bros and Dirt’s Steve Jones hit up Punta Ala for round one of the Enduro World Series, and have come back with this magnificent ode to racing and good times. The next best thing to being there…

Credit: Orpheus Productions

Official Release:
DH, 4X, BMX, XC and Enduro Riders Share First Ever Enduro World Series Podium

Proving Ground of the All-Round sees former DH World Champs, Fabien Barel and Tracy Moseley, on top

9am GMT, May 20, 2013, Edinburgh, UK – Just seven months after the creation of an Enduro World Series was announced, the first round took place over the May 18-19 weekend in Punta Ala, Italy.

Over 500 riders from every mountain bike discipline and almost every nation arrived to take part in one of the most anticipated mountain bike races ever.

Locals from the seaside resort came out in force to experience the opening night time trial, the Prologue, and witnessed the world’s fastest mountain bikers tear through the rain-slicked medieval cobblestone streets of Castiglione della Pescaia. France’s Alex Cure (Urge Team) and Anne Caroline Chausson (Ibis) finished the Prologue in the top position.

While Clementz took an early lead, winning Sunday’s first stage, Barel put in the performance of the race on the longest, most technical trail, the race’s second stage and special Red Bull Time Rush, where he took a 13 second lead.

Former DH World Champion and enduro racer, Tracy Moseley from the UK (Trek Factory Racing) beat out current DH World Champ Emmeline Ragot from France (Lapierre International) and XC Olympian Cecile Ravanel from France (GT Skoda) in the women’s field.

For Managing Director of the EWS, Chris Ball, the event had the perfect mix of epic clashes of top athletes, drama and challenge with riders posting World Cup downhill speeds, instagramming during the liaison stages, and big names like Chausson and Nico Lau crashing out, Vouilloz racing to maintain a decent overall position after a puncture, and Cedric Gracia snapping his chain at the start of stage 4 and having to run his bike through the entire stage and 10km liaison before picking up a replacement chain for the final stage.

Combined with the spectacular setting, great hospitality from the organisers, perfect trail-ending on the beach by the Mediterranean, and intrigue from the pits as prototype bikes and gear set-ups were tested out, the amazing vibe of the weekend set the bar for the Enduro World Series’ debut.

“The riders took enduro to a whole new level today and the racing was some of the most exciting I have ever followed,” says Ball. “We have a lot to learn and a lot to develop both in the following 2013 rounds and in the years to come but I feel that this weekend marked a whole new chapter in enduro history. We couldn’t have asked for a better start and I greatly thank all of our members and supporters for allowing this historic race to happen here in Punta Ala.”

A video highlight edit of the first round of the Enduro World Series from Dirt TV will be released on Tuesday.

Full results, including team rankings, will be live later today, and will undoubtedly be scrutinised, as the quest to become first Enduro World Champion will be based on overall performance across all seven races in the series.

The Enduro World Series moves next to Val D’Allos, France, where riders will be met with chairlifts for uplift and a slightly different format that will provide another opportunity to test riders in the quest for the most versatile all-round mountain bike athlete in the world.

The founder of mtbr and roadbikereview, Francis Cebedo believes that every cyclist has a lot to teach and a lot to learn. "Our websites are communal hubs for sharing cycling experiences, trading adventure stories, and passing along product information and opinions." Francis' favorite bike is the last bike he rode, whether it's a dirt jumper, singlespeed, trail bike, lugged commuter or ultralight carbon road steed. Indeed, Francis loves cycling in all its forms and is happiest when infecting others with that same passion. Francis also believes that IPA will save America.

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